BJP complains, poll panel serves notice to AAP

The Election Commission in Delhi Thursday issued a notice to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following clashes outside the BJP headquarters here Wednesday.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders meanwhile lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over the protest the AAP staged outside the BJP office a day earlier, triggering clashes.

Ankur Garg, Chief Nodal Officer of the Delhi Election Commission, told IANS that the notice was issued for holding the street protest without permission.

The commission has demanded to know why permission was not taken from the authorities before holding the protest.

"If found guilty, the leaders and party members can be prosecuted," Garg said.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: "AAP members are trying to hijack democracy and through anarchy want to harm the democratic structure of the country.

"The Commission has assured us they will take action as per rules," he said.

Delhi BJP president Harshvardhan added that they had asked the Commission to probe the alleged foreign funding in AAP.

"We requested the CEC and other members to probe the funding received by the AAP from abroad," he said.

On Wednesday, clashes erupted after the AAP staged a protest outside the BJP headquarters to denounce the detention of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in Gujarat.

The incident here took place only hours after the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha election schedule and enforced the mandatory model code of conduct for all political parties and candidates.

Vijay Dev, the chief electoral officer in Delhi, said the poll panel could take action against AAP leaders if it was proved they didn't stop their activists from indulging in violence.

The Delhi Election Commission said any party violating the model code of conduct will be prosecuted and may be de-recognised.